Orienteering
An orienteer at a control point.
Highest governing body	International Orienteering Federation
First played	28 May 1893, Stockholm, Sweden
Characteristics
Contact	Non-contact
Team Members	Individual
Mixed Gender	Separate categories
Category	Outdoor

Orienteering is a running sport involving navigation with a map and compass. A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function The International Orienteering Federation ( IOF) is an international confederation of national Orienteering organizations ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Running is a means for an animal to move on Foot. It is defined in Sporting terms as a Gait in which at some point all feet are off the ground Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively Navigation is the process of reading and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, Regions, and Themes A compass, magnetic compass or mariner's compass is a navigational instrument for determining direction relative to the earth's Magnetic poles It consists The traditional form (sometimes referred to as "Foot Orienteering" or "Foot-O") involves cross-country running, though other forms have evolved. Cross Country running is a Sport of running Compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain faster than other teams The competition is a timed race in which individual participants use a special purpose map and a magnetic compass to navigate through diverse terrain (often wooded) and visit, in sequence, control points that are indicated on the map. The course of control points is kept secret from the competitors, until the start, when they are provided with a detailed topographic map on which the course is marked. A topographic map is a type of Map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using Contour lines in modern Competitors start at staggered intervals, are individually timed, and are expected to perform all navigation skills on their own. For other uses see Time (disambiguation Time is a component of a measuring system used to sequence events to compare the durations of Standings are determined first by successful completion of the course, then by shortest time on course. Rules and principles of the sport are defined by the International Orienteering Federation. The International Orienteering Federation ( IOF) is an international confederation of national Orienteering organizations

The English name derives from the Swedish word orientering. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the The term was first used to describe the sport in 1918 by Major Ernst Killander, then President of the Stockholm Amateur Athletic Association, in publicity for the first large scale competitive meet held in Sweden. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. ^[1]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early days 1.2 Post war years 1.3 Recent years 2 Orienteering and the Olympics 3 Basics 4 Map and control details 5 Equipment and clothing 6 Race types 6.1 Relay 6.2 Score 6.3 Sprint 6.4 Night 6.5 String 7 Recognized types of orienteering 7.1 Mountain bike orienteering 7.2 Ski orienteering 7.3 Trail orienteering 8 Other variations of orienteering 8.1 Mounted orienteering 8.2 Canoe orienteering 8.3 Radio orienteering 8.4 Military orienteering ("land navigation") 9 Governing body 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

History

Early days

Orienteering originated in Sweden, as a military exercise, in the late 19th century. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles The competitive sport form began in Sweden where the first competition was held for officers on 28 May 1893 at the yearly games of the Stockholm garrison. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the The first civilian competition took place in Norway on 31 October 1897. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common It was sponsored by the Tjalve Sports Club and held near Oslo. (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. The course was quite long by modern standards, at 19. 5 km, on which only three controls were placed. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Peder Fossum won the event in a time of 1 hour, 47 minutes, and 7 seconds. ^[2] The first large scale orienteering meet was organized in 1918 by Major Ernst Killander of Stockholm, Sweden. Killander was a Scout leader who turned to the sport as an opportunity to interest youth in athletics. Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide Youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical mental and spiritual The first large scale event was organized south of Stockholm and was attended by 220 athletes. ^[2][3] Killander continued to develop the rules and principles of the sport, and today is widely regarded throughout Scandinavia as the "Father of Orienteering".

The sport gained popularity with the development of more reliable compasses in the 1930s. The first international competition between orienteers of Sweden and Norway was held outside Oslo, Norway in 1932. In 1933, the Swedish compass manufacturer Silva Sweden AB introduced a new compass design, the protractor compass. Silva compass, or Silva of Sweden, aka Silva Sweden AB is an outdoors products company most known for their high-grade Compasses and other navigational The protractor compass is a type of Compass commonly often used in Hill walking, Orienteering and other outdoor sports and pursuits Until the development of thumb compasses, the protractor compass would remain the state of the art in the sport. A Thumb compass is a type of Compass commonly used in Orienteering, a sport in which map reading and terrain association are paramount By 1934, over a quarter million Swedes were actively participating in the sport, and orienteering had spread to Finland, Switzerland, the Soviet Union, and Hungary. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The nations of Finland, Norway, and Sweden all established national championships. ^[4] The Swedish national orienteering society, Svenska Orienteringsförbundet, the first national orienteering society, was founded in 1936. ^[5]

Post war years

Following World War II, orienteering spread throughout Europe, Asia, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The first orienteering event in North America took place in November, 1941 at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA, organized by Piltti Heiskanen, a visiting teacher from Finland. Dartmouth College ( is a private, Coeducational University located in Hanover, New Hampshire, U Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Bjorn Kjellstrom (d. 1995), a Swedish orienteering champion and co-founder of compass manufacturer Silva Sweden AB, moved to the United States in 1946 to found the U. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the S. operations of The Silva Company (later Silva, Inc. ). Kjellstrom brought his love for orienteering with him, inaugurating Silva Orienteering Services to provide training and company sponsorship for the sport. Norwegian Harald Wibye in 1967 founded the first U. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. S. orienteering club, the Delaware Valley Orienteering Association [1], now the largest in the United States. ^[6] The Canadian Orienteering Federation was also founded in 1967, and the first Canadian national orienteering championship was held at Gatineau Park in Ottawa on August 10, 1968. Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. ^[7] In 1971 a group of orienteers led by members of the four-year old Quantico Orienteering Club founded the U. S. Orienteering Federation. ^[6] The only World Championship to be held in North America took place at Harriman State Park, New York, USA in 1993. The World Orienteering Championships were first held in 1966 They were held biennially up to 2003 (with the exception of 1977 and 1978 At 46613 acres (1864 km² Harriman State Park is one of the largest State parks in New York. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous

Eleven countries sent representatives to an international conference in Sandviken, Sweden in 1949 that aimed to bring more consistent rules and mapping standards to the sport. Sandviken Municipality ( Sandvikens kommun) is a municipality in Gävleborg County, in east central Sweden. The Norwegians and Swedes began producing new multi-color maps with cartography designed specifically for orienteering, in the 1950s. The first orienteering event in Australia was held in 1955. The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) was established in 1961 and the first world championships were held in 1966. The founding member societies represented the nations of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state By 1969, the IOF would represent 16 countries, including the first two non-European member societies representing Japan and Canada. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page ^[8]

Recent years

Sixty-seven different national orienteering federations are member societies of the IOF today. ^[9] World championships were held biannually from 1961 to 2003, and are now held every year. Jukola relay and Tiomila have both been held since the 1940s. The Jukola Relay is an Orienteering relay race held annually in Finland since 1949 Tiomila is an Orienteering race held annually in Sweden since 1945 The largest individual orienteering meet, O-Ringen, has been held annually since 1965 and attracts around 15,000 athletes to compete in the Swedish forests. O-Ringen, or Swedish 5-Days is a multiday Orienteering race It has been held annually since 1965 There are new variations of the sport, including ski orienteering, mountain bike orienteering, trail orienteering, canoe orienteering, and radio orienteering that attract diverse communities of athletes. Amateur radio direction finding ( ARDF, also known as radio orienteering and Radiosport) is an amateur racing sport that combines Radio direction The sport has been dominated by the Nordic nations and Switzerland, but increasingly France, United Kingdom and several Eastern European countries are making their mark. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Outside Europe, Australia and New Zealand are the most developed orienteering nations. After the death of Bjorn Kjellstrom and the absence of active corporate sponsorship, U. S. orienteering has remained somewhat stagnant in terms of participation in recent years.

Orienteering and the Olympics

Efforts begun in 1996 to promote the inclusion of orienteering in the Olympic Games have so far been unsuccessful, although orienteering became a sport in the World Games in 2001, and is a sport in the Summer Deaflympics. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games This article is about the real-life event. There is also the World Games computer game. The Deaflympics (previously called World Games for the Deaf, and International Games for the Deaf) are an IOC -sanctioned event at which Deaf Supporters recognize that the sport is neither television nor spectator friendly, the venue of competition is often necessarily remote from major cities, and the duration of the event is longer than most other individual competitions. ^[10] Efforts to develop a format suitable for Olympic competitions have focused on park orienteering, micro-orienteering, and short distance relays. Sprint Orienteering on foot as a format of the sport is most likely to be included in Olympic Games,as this discipline is becoming more and more popular world-wide and can have a significant spectator interest. According to the website of a Chicago Orienteering club, "the International Orienteering Federation is committed to entering the Olympic World. "^[11]

Although not an official demonstration sport, an international ski-orienteering event was held in Sugadaira, Japan as part of the International Cultural Festival held in conjunction with the XVIII Winter Olympic Games in Nagano in 1998. A demonstration sport is a sport which is played in order to promote itself most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1998 the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, is located in the northern part of the prefecture near the confluence of the Chikuma and the Sai rivers on the ^[12] The International Orienteering Federation petitioned the International Olympic Committee in 2002 to include ski orienteering in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, noting that it could share the venue with the biathlon competitions. The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Biathlon (not to be confused with Duathlon) is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines ^[13] In its formal recommendation that ski orienteering not be included in those games, the Olympic Programme Commission focused on a lack of participation in the sport outside Nordic countries, "the challenges for broadcasters and spectators to easily follow the competition", and the costs associated with new technology and a new results system. The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, ^[14] In 2005, the International Olympic Committee confirmed that ski orienteering was under consideration for inclusion in the review process of the Olympic sport program for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. ^[15] On November 28, 2006, the Executive Board of the IOC decided not to include any new sports, among them ski orienteering, into this review process. ^[16]

Basics

An orienteering course is marked in purple or red on a map using a triangle to indicate the start and a double circle to indicate the finish. A triangle is one of the basic Shapes of Geometry: a Polygon with three corners or vertices and three sides or edges which are Line Circles are simple Shapes of Euclidean geometry consisting of those points in a plane which are at a constant Distance, called the Circles are used to show the control points. A staggered start is often used, with competitors starting at one or two-minute intervals. Results are based on the time taken to complete the course, visiting all the controls in the correct order.

High levels of fitness and running speed are required to compete successfully at an elite level. Physical fitness is used in two close meanings general fitness (a state of Health and well-being and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability Success is also heavily dependent on choosing the fastest route between controls. While controls are generally the same for the competitors in any particular category, the routes they choose may be very different. Competitors are often required to cross rough, undeveloped terrain where accurate navigation is essential. Terrain, or relief, is the third or vertical dimension of land surface.

Orienteering races usually offer a range of courses with varying physical and technical difficulty to appeal to competitors of differing abilities. Often courses are classified by age class, e. g. , M35 for men 35 years of age and older. Sometimes several courses are available for each age class, e. g. , W18L: women 18 years and younger long course, W70S: women over 70 short course, M21E: men's open elite etc.

Some countries, such as the United States or the United Kingdom, use color-coded courses at smaller races to define the difficulty of the courses. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A "white" course, for instance, might be a short, easy course aimed at beginners whilst a "blue" course would be both technically and physically more demanding.

Recently some local orienteering clubs have begun to organize orienteering courses solely for fitness purposes. These may be permanent courses, and are used for practice and training. Maps of the courses are usually available publicly for a fee. Sometimes these are collected back after completing the course, and certainly so if the course is later intended also for major event. All major competitive events should have completely new control points on the course, and the general area of the competition can be closed for competitors during the construction of the course.

Map and control details

Maps are specially created by orienteers and professional mapmakers. They are a larger scale and much more detailed than general-purpose topographic maps, and are typically at scales of 1:15,000 or 1:10,000, with grids predrawn to magnetic north. The magnetic declination (also known as grid magnetic angle in military circles at any point on the Earth is the angle between the local magnetic field -- the direction This is about the direction for other uses see North (disambiguation. Map symbols for the 1:15000 scale are standardized by the IOF (International specification for orienteering maps - ISOM), and designed to be readable by any competitor no matter his background or native tongue. 1:15,000 is specified to be the norm and 1:10,000 a special-purpose variation, and map symbols for the 1:10000 scale are required by the specification to be a 150% enlargement of the symbols for the 1:15,000 scale. However in some countries almost all maps used are at 1:10,000 using symbols at the regular size.

Map reading and terrain association are supreme in orienteering navigation, and the compass is normally reduced solely to the role of orienting the map to magnetic north.

Control points are usually placed on distinct features, and clarified on a "control description sheet". They are marked in the terrain by white and orange (or white and red) flags, like that illustrated above. A competitor registers his or her visit by punching a "control card" with a needle punch, or using an electronic chip.

Equipment and clothing

The basic equipment required for orienteering is usually listed as a compass, appropriate outdoor clothing and, in some countries, whistle. Wilderness is generally defined as a Natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by Human activity A simple whistle is a Woodwind instrument which produces Sound from a stream of forced air The whistle is for use in emergency situations. Competitive orienteers usually use specialized equipment, such as a "thumb compass". A clear plastic sleeve is often worn on the forearm to hold control descriptions. Competitors may also use a "punch-card holder" for hands-free orienteering. A modern variation on the punch card is electronic punching. There are two types of electronic punching. The SPORTIdent system uses a small plastic 'e-card' (also called a 'dibber' or 'fingerstick'), which straps to a competitor's finger and is inserted into a special, battery-operated station at the control point. The other is a system known as 'EMIT' which has more of a brick-like shape, but follows the same principle as the 'e-card' with the added backup of a small paper card. This card is pierced by a pin in a specific location at each station. With both, the time at which the control was punched is recorded. Some electronic punching systems have stations that beep and/or flash a light to notify that the punch is OK. For important events there should be some kind of independent backup available in case of equipment failure.

Purpose-made lightweight nylon or lycra suits provide full body cover for racing in areas with undergrowth. Overview Nylon is a Thermoplastic silky material first used commercially in a nylon- Bristled Toothbrush (1938 followed more famously by Spandex or elastane is a Synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. Undergrowth usually refers to the vegetation in a Forest, which can obstruct passage through the forest Gaiters are also often worn. Gaiters are items worn on the lower leg and used primarily as Personal protective equipment; similar items used primarily for display are Spats. Lightweight studded (and often cleated) orienteering shoes are commonly used. People sometimes wear visors to keep rain, dust and twigs out of their eyes. GPS and other electronic navigation devices are not normally allowed. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth

Race types

World Championship distances are Long (winning time of 70 – 80 minutes for women and 90 – 100 mins for men), Middle (30 – 35 mins), Sprint (10 – 12 mins) and Relay.

Relay

Teams of competitors each run a course and the result is based on the team's total time. Relays usually employ a mass start instead of a staggered start. To reduce competitors following each other, parallel courses (called forks) are used where runners on each leg of the race can have different course combinations. Additionally, the legs may be run in different order, so the general area of the event has competitors on totally different courses running perpendicularly to each other. Following a wrong fellow-competitor in such an event will be hazardous. To ensure fairness, the total of all the course combinations is always the same for each team. ^[17]

Score

Competitors visit as many controls as possible within a time limit. There is usually a mass start (rather than staggered), with a time limit. Controls may have different point values depending on difficulty and there is a point penalty for each minute late. The competitor with the most points is the winner. The large-scale, endurance-style version of a Score-O is known as a rogaine, competed by teams in events lasting (often) 24 hours. Rogaining is the sport of long distance cross-country navigation. A very large area is used for competition, and the map scale is smaller. The format originated in Australia. The term ROGAINE is often said to stand for Rugged Outdoor Group Activity Involving Navigation and Endurance; this is essentially a backronym, as the name actually originates from the names of Rod, Gail and Neil Phillips, who were among Australian Rogaining's first participants. A backronym (or bacronym) is a Phrase that is constructed "after the fact" from a previously existing word or Abbreviation, the abbreviation ^[18]

Sprint

Shorter events, often held in city parks and other more urban settings. A park is a protected area of Land and Water, usually in its natural or semi-natural (landscaped state and set aside for some purpose often to do with human Map scales are usually 1:5,000 or 1:4,000. Control sites can include benches, litterbins, sculptures, and other objects common to urban parks. ^[19]

Night

Competitors use a headlamp to navigate in the dark. Reflective control markers are often used. If a night event starts before dark, then a mass start must be used so all competitors have equal time in the light and dark. The two classic club relays, Tiomila and Jukola relay, both include night legs. ^[20]

String

Competitors follow a string around a short course noting down things that they find on the way. This is generally used by young children and people new to the sport who want to find out what it is like. ^[21]

Recognized types of orienteering

The four types of orienteering recognized by the International Orienteering Federation are foot orienteering, mountain bike orienteering, ski orienteering, and trail orienteering. A mountain bike or mountain bicycle (abbreviated MTB or ATB (all terrain bicycle is a Bicycle designed for off-road cycling including A ski is a long flat device worn on the feet designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow

Mountain bike orienteering

This is orienteering on a mountain bike, abbreviated MTBO or MTB-O. As bikes are usually not permitted to leave the path system, the major focus becomes route choice while navigating at bike speed. Special equipment required is a map holder attached to the handlebar of the bike. Maps are usually smaller scale and less detailed than standard orienteering maps. ^[22]

Ski orienteering

Another variant includes orienteering on cross-country skis. Cross-country skiing (also known as XC skiing) is a Winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields primarily Northern Europe, Standard orienteering maps are used, but with special green overprinting of trails and tracks to indicate their navigability in snow; other symbols indicate whether any roads are snow-covered or clear. Standard cross-country ski equipment is used, along with a map holder attached to the chest. ^[23]

Trail orienteering

An orienteering form accessible to disabled competitors on equal terms as ablebodied, where the object is accuracy, not time. It involves determining, along an accessible course no competitor may leave, which of various controls in a small area is the one indicated on the map. Another less common form involves determining the position on a map of a control viewed from a set point 30 – 40 metres away. Maps are usually 1:5,000 scale. ^[24]

Other variations of orienteering

There are many other orienteering variations where a means of locomotion is combined with a navigational element:

Mounted orienteering

Main article: Competitive Mounted Orienteering

Competitive Mounted Orienteering (CMO) is performed on horseback. Mounted orienteering is the practice of Orienteering while riding a horse or other riding animal The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. However, competition rules adopted by the (US) National Association of Competitive Mounted Orienteering (NACMO) emphasize search techniques over orienteering. This is because NACMO uses available maps, usually but not necessarily topographic maps. These maps generally are not appropriate for teaching beginning competitors to use the more advanced skills of field navigation. Hence, the required navigational skills are kept simple. ^[25]

Canoe orienteering

This is best done in an area with many small islands and a complex shoreline. Frequently, two-person teams compete using one canoe. Some controls are accessible by water and others by land. An important part of the strategy is choosing both water and land routes so that the controls are encountered efficiently, and neither team member wastes time waiting for the other. ^[26]

Radio orienteering

Main article: Amateur Radio Direction Finding

Also known as Amateur Radio Direction Finding or ARDF, It is an amateur map and compass sport that combines the skills of orienteering and radio direction finding. Amateur radio direction finding ( ARDF, also known as radio orienteering and Radiosport) is an amateur racing sport that combines Radio direction Amateur radio direction finding ( ARDF, also known as radio orienteering and Radiosport) is an amateur racing sport that combines Radio direction It is a timed race in which individual competitors use a topographic map, a magnetic compass and radio direction finding apparatus to navigate through diverse wooded terrain while searching for radio transmitters. The rules of the sport and international competitions are organized by the International Amateur Radio Union. Worldwide, the sport is most often referred to by its English-language acronym, ARDF, but is also referred to as radio orienteering or radiosport. ^[27][28]

Military orienteering ("land navigation")

Orienteering in a military context (involving the stealthy movement of individuals or small groups of soldiers) is widely taught (especially in the United States) under the name "land navigation" (or "land nav").

Governing body

The international governing body for orienteering is the International Orienteering Federation ^[29] It is based in Finland ^[30] and it claims on its website to aim to "spread the sport of orienteering, to promote its development and to create and maintain an attractive world event programme. ^[31]

There are also governing bodies for many of the individual countries that are represented in the sport of orienteering. For example the British Orienteering Federation is the national governing body for the United Kingdom. The British Orienteering Federation is the national Sports governing body for the civilian sport of Orienteering in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The federation was founded in 1967 and it is made up of 13 constituent associations. ^[32]

The governing body for Finnish orienteering is the Finnish Orienteering Federation. ^[33]

See also

• World Orienteering Championships
• European Orienteering Championships
• Junior World Orienteering Championships
• World Ski Orienteering Championships
• Fell running
• Compass
• Cross-country running
• Adventure racing
• Mountain Marathon
• Rogaining
• Geocaching
• Cambridge Sports Union
• United States Orienteering Federation

References

External links

• Orienteering at the Open Directory Project
• International Orienteering Federation

The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory

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